


The ripper

by myotishia



Series: In the rift [13]
Category: Torchwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-10 00:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18648892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myotishia/pseuds/myotishia
Summary: Someone, or something, stalks the streets of Cardiff at night.





	The ripper

In the dark of the night, icy rain beating down upon the citizens unlucky enough to be caught outside. A tall figure walked the street in archaic looking clothing, seemingly searching for something or someone. A woman, calling herself Jasmine, dressed in much less than the weather should allow. The man smiled at her warmly and offered for her to take shelter under his coat. She’d been with stranger guys than this and she was shivering so she accepted the offer, ducking under the heavy fabric. It was warm and smelled like smoke. Not cigarettes but the scent you get from a house fire. It made her a little light headed but the idea of going back out into the cold made her cling to the man. He seemed well put together and she could see the flash of gold buttons under the coat. He even had a pocket watch. It was impressive attention to detail for what must have been a costume.

Finding her voice she looked up. “Where are we going?”

“My home of course.” His voice was soft like velvet but deep. He had an English accent and spoke like she imagined a prince would. 

“It’ll cost you, you know.”

“Money I have.”

 

“Morning.” Called Tosh cheerily as she entered the main area of the hub.

“The move went well then.” Smiled Gwen.

“Very. We haven’t unpacked completely yet but we’re comfortable enough. Ely is just excited to have some garage space. Give it a few months and the whole place is going to look like a scene from Wallis and Gromit.”

“Might not be too bad. I could get used to breakfast being made automatically in the morning.”

“Oooh, breakfast alarm clock. I could do that.” Elise grinned as she wandered past.

Tosh laughed and shook her head. “Don’t give her ideas.” 

“Is Owen in yet?”

Gwen shrugged, a little confused. “Isn’t he with you?”

“He stayed at his own place last night to watch some medical lecture thing. Didn’t want to keep us awake.”

“He’s gone all domestic. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Don’t tell him that, he’ll just start playing up. Anyway, I’ll see you all later. I promised Ianto I’d help him deconstruct that dalek shell.” 

 

Jack triple checked that the dalek was definitely empty and decontaminated. It was, but Jack knew better than to just trust these things. He wasn’t even sure that the thing could be deconstructed. Ianto was ready to get started, wearing more casual clothing because he had no idea what kind of mess could be in the thing. 

“You shouldn’t do this alone.” Said Jack, standing back from the daleks shell.

“I’m not. Elise is going to help as soon as she gets in. I guessed if anything went wrong someone who can literally blink through space would be the best person to help.”

“Just don’t take any risks.”

“Jack. I’m fine.”

“Still. You’ve already faced down a cyberman this month. I don’t need anything else happening to you.”

Ianto sighed, taking Jacks hands and leaning in close. “I promise I’m not going anywhere.”

“Should I come back later?” Elise asked from the doorway. “Don’t want to get in the way of a moment.”

Jack smiled softly and turned. “No. I have things to catch up on. Be careful with that thing. Both of you.” He swept out, past Elise. 

“I have bad timing don’t I?”

Ianto shrugged. “Five minutes later would have been bad timing.”

“As if either of you could get in the mood with a dalek shell in the room.”

“I don’t know, a little fear isn’t always bad.”

“That’s what blindfolds are for, not daleks. Anyway, let's take this big guy apart.” She patted a hand on the top of the metal remnant. 

 

Owen yawned and sat in his usual chair.

“Late night?” Asked Tosh.

He leaned on his desk. “It ran long. Didn’t get to sleep until four.”

“We haven’t had anything come up this morning, just take a nap.”

“Shh, you’ll jinx it.” He mumbled into his arms.

“Well, there was a murder last night, but I don’t think it’s one for us.” Gwen said, peeking over at Owen that gave a very sleepy death glare with his one visible eye. 

“How bad?” Asked Tosh, pulling Owens jacket over his shoulders like a blanket.

“Twenty two year old prostitute. They found her in an alleyway carved up from the waist down.”

Tosh cringed. “That’s a little Jack the ripper esque.”

“More than you’d think. I looked up the report from the officers that got the call. Apparently the cuts looked surgical. Let’s hope it’s just a one off.”

“Are these things ever?”

 

Ianto pulled back on one of the front panel of the dalek as it came loose, Elise leaning into the thing and prying away some of the locking pins. It was a brute force method but it worked. The inside was a mess of wires and parts that likely made sense to the daleks but just looked like spaghetti to the average human eye. Maybe it would make sense to Tosh. They’d preserve as much of the internal wiring as they could as it was only the outer casing that needed deconstructing. 

“Think we can melt these panels down?” Elise asked, extracting herself fully from the shell.

“I doubt it. They’re near impossible to kill so this stuff isn’t going to melt down.”

“Shame. We could make some kind of barrier with them.”

“You’re going to be suggesting making shields next.”

“I think they’re a bit heavy for that. At least they’ll be easier to remove now we can get to the inside. How’re you holding up?”

He placed the loose panel against the wall. “I’m fine now it’s open. It’s a lot less intimidating when it’s like this.”

“Good.”

“I think it bothers Jack even more than it does me.”

“Oh?”

“It was a dalek that killed him the first time.”

“Shit… No wonder he hates it. Nice to know he talks to you about that sort of thing.”

“I think knowing that I should have died by now and there was nothing he could do made him open up a bit more.” He looked away for a moment like there was something he wasn’t saying. 

Elise moved next to him. “What’s on your mind? There’s no one else here so…”

“It’s nothing.”

“If it’s bothering you it’s not nothing. Tell aunty Elise.” 

He laughed. “Aunty?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

He paused. “So I died in your timeline.”

“Yes. I wasn’t told exactly how but I know it was something to do with an alien virus and Jack was with you.”

“I didn’t think I had made it that far.”

“Why?”

“After… After we ran into a family of cannibals I… I lost a lot of hope and one night I just couldn’t cope anymore… Jack saved me at the last moment but I thought maybe in your timeline he hadn’t.” He still wouldn’t meet her gaze, feeling almost ashamed by his actions. The memory was hard to look back on.

“Oh sweetheart. Jack is always there to save you. Always will be… Promise no matter what happens you won’t try anything like that again.”

He looked up slightly. “I’m better than I was. I don’t get the thoughts the same anymore.”

“Still. If I’m sticking around you have to too.”

“Elise…”

“I’d miss you.”

“...I promise.”

“And I’d just turn back time and save you anyway.”

 

Another few nights and another few bodies made the whole city feel tense, the streets abandoned after dark. Torchwood didn’t get the luxury of staying in and hiding. Jack knelt down in front of a woman who it would be very easy to mistake for a corpse. He stare was glassy and she barely moved, even to breath. Her friend had called emergency dispatch saying they’d been attacked by a giant snake or something and it had slithered its way down her throat. He gently laid her down on the carpet and he could see her stomach moving. Owen crouched down on her other side and held out a scanner. It showed what looked more like an eel, coiled tightly in her stomach as if it was settling in for the long haul, or at least trying to do so in such a small space. Its mouth moved like it was drinking the stomach acid it was sitting in. 

The best case scenario would be killing the eel and removing it intact for study, but they didn’t know what would happen if it felt it was under threat. If she was in her right mind she might be able to throw it up but she seemed to be in some kind of dream-state. Her eyes moving rapidly in bursts. 

The decision of what to do next was made for them as the womans stomach suddenly ruptured and the eel bit its way out. Both men scrambled back and out of the line of fire. The viscera covered eel rose up and tilted its head then lunged for Owen, not expecting Jack to grab it around its middle and throw it down to the floor where its spine snapped under his boot. It was at least six meters long and it was covered in what looked like fine hairs. 

Jack swayed slightly, those tiny hairs stuck in his hand like the stinging fibres of a nettle. They didn’t hurt but they made colours dance in his vision. He felt distant, like he wasn’t quite part of his own body. He couldn’t see the room anymore just the bright colours that swirled like oil on water.

When his senses returned he could see Owen talking to him.

“You back with me?” 

“What just happened?” Jack asked, the words feeling alien in his mouth.

“That thing’s covered in a mix of hallucinogens and sedatives. You only got a small dose and I’ve counteracted it but you’re going to feel groggy as hell. You’ve been staring at the floor for the past five minutes.”

“Five minutes? It only felt like a few seconds.” He looked at his hand, flexing his fingers.

“Well, it’s good to have you back but there’s no way in hell I’m letting you drive.”

 

When Owen returned, and got a good look at the womans body, he quickly realised that she had been a lost cause before they even got there. There was a not insignificant amount of blood in her lungs from the damage to her throat made by the eels sudden invasion. It seemed to be a mature specimen and had the flesh of two other people partially digested in its stomach. If it had been a juvenile she might have survived due to its smaller size. 

DNA testing of the other flesh inside the creature brought up two names. His stomach dropped as he read why they both had criminal records. They were both prostitutes and both had been found dead very recently. He cleaned up and headed up to the rest of the team.

“What do a possible serial killer and a giant eel have in common?”  

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

“Both have the same victims.”

“Wait, those girls were opened up by a person not eaten by a giant eel.” Gwen piped up.

“Well, that eel had parts of those girls in its stomach, so either they get really good with tools once they’re on the outside of a body or someone fed them to the thing.”

“Do you think there’s more of them?” Asked Jack.

“No idea, but knowing our luck there’s probably loads of them.”

“We need to pin down where this guy is.”

Gwen turned to her computer. “I’ll see what the detectives have already.”

“I’ve got someone I can get some information from, hopefully.” He grabbed his coat and headed out. 

 

Lilith heard a knock at her front door. She looked through the peephole to see a face she hadn’t run into in a very long time. 

“Jack.” She beamed as she pulled the door open. “What brings you to my doorstep on such a misty evening?”

“This isn’t a social visit.”

“Aww. That’s a shame. Well, you may as well come in.” She swept into the living room and lounged on a fainting couch that sat in the corner, her red hair cascading over her shoulder.

“The girls that have been turning up dead.”

“Ah, yes. Poor things.”

“Did you know them?”

“Personally, no. But a couple of my girls did.” She sighed, having spent the night before comforting one of the young ladies she kept an eye on.

“Any idea who took them?”

“Not exactly. Apparently the last john they were seen with was tall, wide shouldered, dressed like some Victorian era gentleman. They assumed he was just wearing that whole steampunk style.”

“Are you still working?” He watched her with concern, knowing she was no stranger to taking payment for her services.

“I’m taking a break until this all blows over. I’d rather not get into a fight. Can’t be showing my true form now can I. Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay a while?” She let her dressing gown slip from her shoulder.

He stood to leave. “Sorry, not tonight.”

“Someone else?” She pouted.

He nodded and smiled.

“Oh fine. All this monogamy nonsense. It’s not good for a succubus. Well, shoo, you’re much too tempting to stick around.”

“Take care.”

“I will, just catch that monster.” She kissed him on the cheek before pushing him out of the door.

 

Toshiko scrolled back and forth over a map of the city while she downloaded all the cctv footage of the local area. The possible area to search was just too large to pinpoint where this eel or its apparent owner were living. She could confidently remove any commercial premises from the list but that still left hundreds of properties. She was trying to think of anything to narrow the search down. The place would need at least running water so that removed any vacated residential properties. It would probably need to be within walking distance of where the women were picked up as at no point had a car been mentioned. It would have to be on a very quiet route to where the bodies were left so he wasn’t seen dropping them off, unless they were attacked where they were found. The police hadn’t been sure and they’d been very quick to clear the scenes so there would be no real evidence left. It was frustrating to say the least. It was time to change her approach. She had an approximate time of death and though the women would have known where to ply their trade to stay out of sight of cameras they had to walk past at least one.  

It took longer than she would have like but finally she found a small clip that had a view of the second victim. Next to her was a tall man in a long black coat that looked like something out of a period drama. Clearing up the image she could see the reddish brown colour of his hair. He was clean shaven and had a gentle smile on his face. Knowing the womans fate made that smile so much more frightening. She had a face to work with now so she set off a cross reference with any face they had on file. In the meantime she followed his movements via the footage from local cameras. He seemed to take a few wrong turns but eventually entered what should have been an abandoned building. It had been a doctors office but had been abandoned after funding was cut. The water hadn’t been cut yet but the power had.

 

The building had been around for much longer than the surgery had the old brick frontage blending into its surroundings with the aid of the heavy ivy. The windows were all covered to prevent them being smashed so seeing inside was impossible. The old wooden front door was still sealed and undamaged making it seem like no one had entered since it closed.

The back door was a different story. Elise kept an eye on the outside of the building while Jack and Owen swept it. It seemed like it had been hastily abandoned even though everything should have been removed. Stacks and stacks of old paper medical records sat in reception, a thin layer of dust covering them. One stack had been knocked over recently as the dust hadn’t built up as much. The place had a soft scent of burnt paper under the cloying scent of dust. In the first office a desk had been smashed into small pieces, most of the pieces missing, only leaving the metal of the legs behind. The steel was bent seemingly by hand. Further into the building was what they guessed was a break room. Two sofas still sat against the walls and an old fireplace sat in the centre of the far wall. Fresh ashes had been left from a fire and the broken pieces of the desk, along with a small pile of paper medical records, were neatly stacked beside it. Jack held his hand above the ashes.

“Still warm.” He breathed to himself. He guessed that the metal bins placed in the corners had been the same, but used for lighting. 

Owen was looking over a leather bound diary, turning to the most recent page. 

‘ _The effects of the eel secretions is dulling. I have not lost my strength or the sight I was gifted by it but I feel the familiar pains in my heart returning. I know of nothing else that would produce the same result in the creatures so I must redouble my efforts. I may not have the luxury of working only by moonlight any longer. What’s worse is the escape of one of my mature specimens. I fear even if I were to capture it once more it would already be tainted beyond use. I must search for at least two women tonight._ ’ 

He placed the diary into his pocket.

Jack had already headed off up to the second floor, finding six plastic storage boxes filled with water and eels. They writhed and splashed in the cramped conditions before lunging at Jack, blocked by a swift swing of the door. He got the feeling the place would have to be burned down just to kill off the mass of creatures. For the moment with the door closed they were at very least contained. 

“It’s clear up here, unless you count the eels.” He called down.

“His diary says he’s going after two women tonight. Should we stake the place out or try and grab him before he attacks?”

“We can sweep the area. Elise can keep watch here. It should be fine as long as she stays out of sight.”    

Owen walked outside and looked around. “Elise?” 

She peeked out from what had once been a small garden where she had a clear view of the door but couldn’t be seen until you were practically face to face with her. “Find anything?”

“He’s not in. Mind keeping an eye out while we search the area?”

“Sure. I’ve got my own little chair back here.”

“Don’t get too comfortable.”

“You’re just jelly of my chair.” She smiled.

He rolled his eyes. “Sitting out in the cold, my favourite thing to do. Anyway, you report back with anything, ok? You have a habit of running into trouble.”

“Trouble has a habit of running into me.”

“Either way.”

“I’ve got my little den. I’m fine. Go on, before Jack starts getting grumpy.”

“Now I’m not as grumpy someone’s got to pick up the slack.”

 

A dark figure watched as Owen and Jack left, knowing that they wouldn’t have just given up. He walked the perimeter of the wall, seeing a faint heat signature in the garden. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tipped a small bottle to soak into the cloth. He pulled himself up on top of the wall. The person he saw waiting wore a black coat and trousers. They seemed small so it probably wasn’t a police officer. Not that it mattered, whoever this man was they would have to be disposed of. He eased himself down into the long grass before wrapping his arm around the lookout, the cloth pressed over their mouth and nose. As the lookout passed out he realised that this wasn’t a man at all, but a woman. She could be useful. He picked her up over his shoulder and took her inside, lighting the bins around the house to illuminate his way and warm the building. Upstairs he laid the woman down on a gurney he’d been sleeping on for the past few nights and removed her coat. She didn’t even stir as he wrapped the belts, he’d had hidden in his leather bag, around her wrists and ankles. 

 

Elise snapped back to consciousness, cursing herself for not realising what was going on, not hearing a peep from behind her, before she passed out. The man who sat in front of her was easily twice her size and was studying her carefully.

“You’re awake. Good. Why in gods name are you dressed as a man?” He asked, his voice deep and smooth.

She was confused as to what he meant, though that could have been due to what she’d been drugged with. She wasn’t sure. “I’m not.”

“Young lady you are wearing trousers. You shouldn’t involve yourself in such perversions. I may not be a man of god but behaviour like that will surely have you spurned by your community.” He lectured, crossing his arms like an annoyed school teacher.

“Who are you?”

“Ah yes, of course, forgive me. My name is Doctor Charles Farrier.”

“You own the eels?”

“Indeed I do. Such intriguing creatures. They change the substance they secrete depending on what they consume. If they eat fish they exude a mild analgesic. If they are fed plant matter they create a compound with similar effects to opium.” He explained enthusiastically.

She tried to move her arms and felt the leather holding her still. “And human flesh?”

“Yes, that messy business. Well it depends on what part of a human they consume. I’ve found that female reproductive organs create a substance that can temporarily give you quite incredible abilities. Thermal sight. Enhanced strength and endurance. It can even help to pause the effects of damage to the body. I don’t do this for the thrill you see. My heart is in less than optimal condition and I would have died long ago if it weren’t for discovering these creatures.”

“So, you’re planning to cut me open?” She could feel restraints locked around her wrists and ankles were much too strong to just wrestle her way out of.

“You see I usually use prostitutes so they won’t be missed but I believe you will be. Then again you seem much healthier than my usual patients.” He held a scalpel up to the flickering light from a metal bin that he was burning wood inside.

“Wait, we have a doctor that I’m sure could help you. He has access to technology that can’t be find anywhere else. You don’t need to do this.” She stared at the shining blade, repeating the ‘stay calm’ mantra in her head. She needed to send out an SOS. 

“I wish I could take the risk of believing you.”

“The thing that was on my ear. That’s advanced technology,  that has to be proof enough.” 

He picked the device up from a table and looked it over, inadvertently activating it. 

“See? You don’t have to kill anyone else.”

“Even the most elaborate toys are still just toys.” He sighed deeply. “Tell me, you seem much more intelligent than most of the women I’ve met. What would you do in my position?” 

“I’d try anything. It’s better than living life as a murderer. You don’t look like you’re from this time. What was the last date you remember?” She had to stall for time, that was all.

“When I found myself here with my eels it was October of the year 1888. I’m unsure of the date now but much has changed. So many motorised vehicles, such noise. If I stopped this now I don’t know if I could cope. This is all I have, all I am. You know the police named me. Jack the ripper. What nonsense.” He looked away wistfully. “I cannot remember the last real conversation I took part in. What is your name, young lady?”

“Elise.”

“Do you have a family?”

“Not by blood but yes, I have a kind of family. I have people who love me. People I love.” 

“You are fortunate. Even before finding myself here I had no one left. I am all I have, so I’m sorry but I have no other option.” He turned to begin his first incision.

She took in a sharp breath. “Wait! Can I have a final request?”

He pulled back, his eyes narrowing at her. “If it is a quick request.”

“There’s a small black box in the inside pocket of my coat. It’s a sound recorder.”

He picked up the coat he’d pulled off of her and checked the inside pocket, finding the taser she hid there.    

“You need to hold the two metal bits in one hand and hold the button on the side to record.”

He paused for a moment before doing as she’d asked, having no reference to doubt her. A loud set of snaps filled the room as the man spasmed, electricity jolting through him. As the muscles in his hand tensed he held the button down, keeping it shocking him. The smell of burned flesh rose into the air before the taser finally ran out of charge. She couldn’t tell if he’d survived the shock or not but at least he wasn’t about to cut her open anymore. She could wait until she was rescued or start trying to free herself. Not knowing if he was alive or dead, and a much stronger smell of smoke wafting in from under the door, she decided to try and escape for herself. The restraints were old but thick and showed no signs of snapping. 

 

Owen had worked out what Elise had done and relaxed a little but that relief wouldn’t last. Smoke billowed from the back door. They knew Elise was being held upstairs but the smoke made it near impossible to see. Owen pulled his jacket up to cover his head from any falling debris or licking flame. The stairs were blocked, flames eating away at the leftover papers. The fire extinguishers had been removed so there wasn’t anything they could use to clear a path. He staggered back outside, coughing on the noxious smoke. 

“Owen!” Jack called from the front of the building. He’d pulled the SUV next to the building giving a bit more height to try and reach the second floor windows. He tossed a crowbar up to Owen once he’d clambered up.

The bar dug just under the wooden panels with a thud and creaked, fighting to stay in place. One corner gave way and Owen managed to get a good grip on it, pulling it off and throwing it aside. He shielded his eyes as he hit the window with the crowbar, showering the area in glass.

 

Elise had managed to reach a fingertip over to the scalpel that had been placed down near her right hand. She carefully pulled it closer and held it, turning the blade to the strap. The thick leather didn’t want to cut even under such a sharp blade. Each movement threatened to pull the metal from her hand, her wrist twisted awkwardly. The smell of smoke was getting stronger and she could feel heat rising in the room. A slip and the scalpel clattered to the floor. 

“Shit!” She cursed herself, having only gotten half way through. It would have to do. She tensed her arm and lifted from the cut end of the belt, stretching the fabric and tearing it further, little by little. She clenched her jaw and roared as the leather finally snapped. Glass shattered somewhere nearby as she scrambled to free her other limbs. Even with her hand free the belts were a pain to undo and the smoke was rising. Finally free she grabbed her jacket and pulled on her earpiece. She opened her mouth to announce that she was ok and was going to find a way out when she felt a hand wrap its fingers around the back of her neck. 

 

Owen pulled on his respirator before making his way into the building through the window. The smoke stung his eyes but at least he could breathe easily. The door handle was still cool and he opened the door. Light flickered from the side of the building where the stairs were, only just visible through the thick smoke. A door between himself and the fire exploded open, Elise flying backwards into the opposing wall. A behemoth of a man loomed over her, eyes glowing dimly through the black smoke. Owen raised his gun and fired, the force knocking the man down. He toppled towards the flickering flames.

Elise skittered on the hot floor towards where the shot came from, her back aching and her lungs burning, the wind knocked out of her. Owen wrapped an arm around her and lead her to the smashed window. Jack waited just outside the window to help catch her if necessary.  Owen made her jump out first, finding herself grabbed and safely brought down to the floor as she coughed and gasped. Owen landed next to her as sirens rang out in the evening air. 

By the time the fire was out any evidence of the ripper or his pets would have burned to ashes, any bones crushed under the collapsed roof. 

  
  
  
  



End file.
